


Opposite Extremes

by janaimobar



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-08
Updated: 2015-07-09
Packaged: 2018-04-08 06:02:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4293498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/janaimobar/pseuds/janaimobar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Kyungsoo wonders if the boy in the blazer and Kai are even the same person at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A/N: Forewarning, I literally spit this out within the day and eh...it's a bit of a mess. This is also my first time doing anything in this fandom, but hey, I did it and it's here. Enjoy ^-^

FORWARD:

Kyungsoo met Kai for the first time in the late months of fall.  
It had been dark. Smoke hugged the corners of the room, seeping in uninvited, and there was an incredibly handsy drunken couple to his left insistent on invading his personal bubble. And yet it was bemusedly easy to keep his attention on Kai and Kai alone.  
Kyungsoo wasn’t there voluntarily. In fact, he’d been practically dragged out of his dorm room to attend this hazy mess. But he quickly forgot it when Kai took the stage, all limbs and eyes and careless hair. He tried, desperately; to keep his gaze on Yixing -he was there to watch his friend, after all- but he simply could not. Kai was magnetic.  
Besides, the way his eyes squinted, the way his mouth opened just so- Kyungsoo could hardly be blamed for his wandering eye.  
There were no formal introductions. But when Kai’s eyes met his, lingering there for a good five seconds or so, and his mouth curved into a heated smile, Kyungsoo considered himself introduced.


	2. Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo wanted to keep Kai off his mind at all costs. He’d purposely avoided questioning Yixing about him, apart from his name. He didn’t have time for infatuations, not right before midterms.

 

“You need to wash this,” Kyungsoo grumbled, his nose wrinkling. There was no reply. “Yixing,” he lamented. “I’m serious.”

“What?” his roommate said from his bed, not looking up from his phone.

“This,” Kyungsoo repeated more impatiently, and raised a worn leather jacket from where it had been slumped against his textbooks. “Seriously. You wear this every time you dance.”

“I know,” Yixing grinned, and propped himself up with one elbow. “It’s my good luck jacket.”

“Well it stinks,” Kyungsoo retorted flatly. “It’s practically made of sweat.”

“Oh, don’t be dramatic.” Yixing flopped back down, clearly not planning to abide Kyungsoo’s plans.

“Fine. I’m taking it to the dry cleaner’s myself,” he announced, looping the jacket over his shoulder.

“No, no, no,” came an answer before the phrase was finished. Yixing leapt up from the bed, a fleeting glance of panic on his face. “Look, we have another performance. I’ll wash it tomorrow, ok? But I want it in all its glory for tonight. Luck and all that.”

“Another performance?”

“Yup,” Yixing swiped the jacket from his hands, a grin spreading across his face. “In fact, we got booked every Monday and Friday for the next two months.”

“You’re kidding,” Kyungsoo stared in disbelief. He scooped his books from the ground, his face wrapped in awe. “That’s incredible!”

“Well, it’s not like we’re getting paid. But at least we’ll have the exposure.”

“So I’m invited tonight then,” Kyungsoo said brightly, watching as Yixing hooked the jacket underneath his arm.

“Oh.” His roommate looked suddenly uncomfortable. “Actually...”

“You already have a plus one?” Kyungsoo asked in surprise, quickly recognizing his hesitation. “Who?”

Yixing gave an awkward laugh, rubbing the nape of his neck. “Well…it’s kind of a date.”

“You got a _date_?”

“Jongdae,” Yixing supplied sheepishly, referring to the short hipster in their English class whom he’d been mooning over for the past month. “He asked me out tonight, and then like an idiot I told him I was busy, because, well, I am, but still, I can’t believe I actually _refused_ him, like how stupid-”

“Yixing,” Kyungsoo interrupted impatiently.

“Well,” the dancer beamed, a blush creeping across his pale cheeks. “He said if I couldn’t go with him, he’d come to me.”

“Cute,” Kyungsoo said flatly. “Ok. Well, I’ve got to get to Economics. I guess I won’t be seeing you tonight.” Yixing’s gig probably ran into the wee hours of the morning, and Kyungsoo, being the good boy he was, would likely be asleep when he returned. He had eight a.m classes.

“Sorry,” Yixing offered, patting Kyungsoo sympathetically. “I didn’t know you’d want to come.” He frowned, as if suddenly realizing the flaw in Kyungsoo’s concern.  “Since when were you ever interested in my dance?”

“I,” Kyungsoo answered slowly, suddenly at a loss for words. Since when _was_ he ever interested? “Well, I- it’s cool I guess-”

Yixing raised an eyebrow. “Right.”

“I’m gonna be late for class,” Kyungsoo spluttered in reply, fumbling for the door. He slammed it shut behind him, too heatedly, and heard his roommate’s responding chuckles. Kyungsoo let out a silent curse, fists clutching around his textbooks. What a question. And the simple answer was, well.

Kai.

He’d wanted to keep Kai off his mind at all costs. He’d purposely avoided questioning Yixing about him, apart from his name. He didn’t have time for infatuations, not right before midterms.

He ended up asking to be Sehun’s plus one that night anyway.

 

-

 

The next two weeks he was at every single performance. He would arrive a bit early just to get a spot at the front before other people started crowding in. It was surprisingly full most nights; it seemed like his roommate’s dance crew had begun to garner attention.

Kyungsoo liked routine. So once he started going to the shows, he couldn’t just stop. Sehun always agreed to let Kyungsoo be his plus one, even though the formalities around audience members were quickly forgotten. Whether or not they had an invite, people showed up.

He spent most of his time in the club with Jongdae, who had quickly managed to integrate himself into Kyungsoo’s daily life. When Yixing wasn’t studying or dancing, he was with Jongdae. Kyungsoo didn’t particularly mind- he found it mildly endearing how Jongdae attended every single one of his new boyfriend’s performances. If anything, he was too chatty, but Kyungsoo compensated with his usual silence.

The rest of the time he spent watching Kai.

Dances were unscheduled and erratic, the show different every night, so Kyungsoo could never be sure when Kai would be on stage. This was a touch frustrating, because Kyungsoo liked _routine,_ but he always forgot it once Kai began to dance.

It was rather ridiculous, this attachment he had to a boy he’d never spoken to, but he didn't care. He was always there, right in front, and whether Kai was dancing solo or with the group, Kyungsoo was enraptured.

Perhaps he was imagining it, but he was fairly certain that the dancer had begun to take notice. The first time he attended as Sehun’s guest, Kai was the opener. When he stood to walk away, looking back with those eyes, his gaze caught Kyungsoo’s for perhaps a second. And maybe it really was imagining, but Kyungsoo was certain he saw a flicker of recognition.

The second time, he danced almost an entire group dance stage left right above Kyungsoo’s wide eyes, and throughout the whole routine Kai was stealing glances, their eyes meeting for milliseconds and nothing more. But then when they took their bows, he looked Kyungsoo dead on and smiled that little smile from the very first night. Following that fateful synergy, he knew he was hooked. Kyungsoo questioned if the dancer even knew his name, but in a way it felt like he was carrying on a secret relationship; feverish gazes and saucy smirks that would never be shared. 

From then on Kyungsoo often pretended that Kai was dancing just for him. Imagining it wasn't at all difficult- and the dancer’s little smiles did nothing but make it easier. The smile was always the same; the left corner of his mouth twisting up just a bit, lips parting to reveal just a touch of teeth, and the last flick of his tongue darting out in finale. Kyungsoo had it memorized from the first time he’d received it.

At night he sometimes had fantasy conversations, but they always dried up within thirty seconds. After all, he had nothing to talk to the dancer about. The only thing he knew about him was his name.

 

-  


The first time Kyungsoo met Jongin was on his way to Thermodynamics with Baekhyun. They were in deep conversation about entropy when he caught the familiar face walking towards them, mouthing silent lyrics to the headphones around his ears.

A lot of things happened in that moment- firstly, Kyungsoo was blessed with the revelation that Kai did, in fact, attend the same school as him. Second, he saw Kai in something other than flimsy wife beaters and leather jackets and was pleasantly surprised to see that he looked even better in a blazer. And third, his body momentarily went ahead without consulting his brain and his face broke out in an extensive smile.

Nearing, Kai caught Kyungsoo’s grin and his eyes widened in what looked a little bit like dismay. His lips parted in momentary shock before he hesitantly offered a shy smile, eyes averting back down to the textbooks in his arms. Pace quickening, he walked wide so that when their paths crossed the dancer didn't even brush against his shoulders. His body language was so polar opposite from what Kyungsoo was used to that it was rather startling. For some reason he felt vaguely embarrassed.

Kyungsoo glanced back at Baekhyun, briefly alarmed that he had caught the exchange, but he was still rambling on about thermal energy and had been blissfully unaware during the crucial two seconds.

As they entered the classroom, Kyungsoo found himself wondering if the boy in the blazer and Kai were even the same person at all.

 

-

 

“Damn,” Sehun repeated for what felt like the fiftieth time.

“Aren’t you supposed to be studying?” Yixing asked dryly as he took in the scene on his bed, which consisted of Sehun and his selfie stick. He closed the dorm room door behind him, flopping down atop Kyungsoo’s bed on his right.

“I’m trying to,” Kyungsoo gritted through his teeth. “Heaven knows what he’s doing.” He waved exasperatedly in Sehun’s direction, not looking up from his notes.

“I’m posting a selfie a day this week on insta,” Sehun said by way of explanation, his phone blinking as he took yet another photo. “Damn,” he repeated when he paused to check it. “It’s not my fault it’s hard to look cute while studying.” He let out an exaggerated sigh, fiddling disapprovingly with the window blinds for the nth time. “Not to mention how terrible this lighting is.”

“Do it in your room, then,” Kyungsoo groaned, clearly irritated. “You said you wanted to study with me, not have a photo shoot.”

“God,” Sehun grumbled, setting the stick down. “It’s not like you have fans to cater to. Just so you know, there are-”

“Over five hundred thousand,” Yixing and Kyungsoo said on cue, both rolling their eyes.

“Yes,” Sehun approved, and ran his fingers through his newly dyed hair. “You would never understand the responsibility.”

“Responsibility my ass,” Kyungsoo snorted, finally looking up. “How many classes are you failing, again?”

“Those hardly count,” Sehun sniffed, pulling his textbook up from the ground. “I stopped going back in like, October. Who the hell does eight a.m classes anyways?”

“Me,” Yixing and Kyungsoo replied together once more. “Now please shut up,” Kyungsoo added with passion.

“Would you look at this guy,” came Sehun’s cooing reply. “Been studying all weekend for his damn _English_ mid-term.” He bounced off the bed, grabbing for Kyungsoo’s notes and eliciting a high-pitched cry of fury. “Hyung,” he ploughed through determinedly, “I’ve never seen you have _fun_. I mean, you don’t even get out except to watch Yixing and I dance! And then you just stand there; I’ve never seen you pick up a drink. You need a break!”

Kyungsoo just gave him a rough shove, sending him tumbling off the bed. “What makes you think taking a break is fun for me?” he answered cuttingly.

Sehun spread himself out across the floor, groaning in disbelief, and looked to Yixing for backup.

His roommate paused for a moment, looking rightly torn. After all, agreeing with Sehun was like admitting that you agreed with a vain poodle that thought it was actually suited to be in college. But then he gave a sigh of resignation and placed a hand firmly on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “He’s not wrong, Kyungsoo. You’ve hardly left the room this whole weekend.”

“I don’t want to fail,” was Kyungsoo’s muttered reply.

“Oh come on,” Sehun laughed. “You couldn’t fail even if you prostituted yourself out to the teacher to bribe her into failing you.”

Kyungsoo gave him a look and Sehun settled with, “You’re smart, hyung. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Besides,” Yixing added hastily, shaking his head at Sehun, “we’re celebrating tonight. Our bookings are finished and I’d say it was quite successful. We’re all going out for drinks. You should come.”

“Ya,” Sehun agreed from the floor. “I’m gonna get smashed,” he added unnecessarily.

“Why would I want to go?” Kyungsoo sighed into his pillow. “It’s just going to be dancers. I wouldn’t fit it.”

“You have to meet some new people eventually,” Yixing chided gently. “Jongdae’s coming too, so you’ll have some company.”

“If he’s not sucking face with you,” Sehun snickered, and then let out a sharp bark of laughter when Yixing’s face went a luscious shade of red. Kyungsoo snorted amusedly and Sehun turned to face him, his tone growing stubborn. “Come on, hyung. I feel bad, watching you cooped up like this. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you became a hermit and I knew I could have helped.”

“Ugh, fine,” Kyungsoo relented, shoving his notes back into his books. “It’s not like I’m getting any more studying in with you around.”

 

-

 

Kyungsoo met Kai for the second time, properly, in a club downtown, rather far from the college. It was mildly busy, women in tight dresses and guys with their collar buttons undone milling to and fro. Kyungsoo found himself quickly wedged into a corner; Jongdae, Yixing, and Sehun had disappeared from his sight within ten minutes. Other dancers that he may’ve or may not have recognized offered him smiles but none came to save him.

A blast of icy late November air awakened him as the door opened, and then who else entered but Kai.

He was wearing a blue button down with the sleeves rolled up and the first few buttons undone, as the dress code seemed to dictate. He was, Kyungsoo quickly decided, already drunk. There was no slurring or stumbling, but his eyes were abuzz with something more than just excitement. Whoever he had once seen on his way to Thermodynamics was completely gone now. The boy that stood in the doorway was none other than Kai, his body oozing confidence and his eyes oozing sex.

It seemed almost unreal when the dancer’s gaze swept the room and somehow landed on Kyungsoo. That smile was out again, and cliché as it was, he felt his breath hitch in his throat. Kai, eyes lit dangerously on alcohol and smoke, seemed to sense it and he grinned, walking over.

Before he knew it he had been pulled onto the dance floor, and there were people everywhere, their voices and shouts and breath like a surround sound system, but all he heard was Kai, all he felt was Kai, all he saw was Kai, his mess of hair, his flashing eyes, his bronzed skin.

How long they spent in there, Kyungsoo didn’t know, but when Kai grabbed his wrist, pulling him from the crowd, he followed blindly, strangely detached.

The winter air hit him like a slap to the face, but it was nice after the heat of bodies from all directions. Kai leaned against the stoop railing, his face flush and shining lightly with sweat. He stared up at the sky, seeming content to not say a word. The mood was rather pleasant, if not dream-like. “I’m Kyungsoo,” Kyungsoo said in the silence, and Kai smiled.

“Kai,” he answered easily. The dancer let out a slow breath, watching as it trailed a cloud through the frosty air.

“You’re amazing,” Kyungsoo revered, and then immediately wondered how much he’d drunk.

Kai laughed lowly. “At what?”

“Everything,” Kyungsoo breathed softly. There was a beat of silence during which Kai's gaze wavered, then suddenly he had Kyungsoo against him, and pressed their lips together before Kyungsoo could protest.

It was outside the club in icy late December that Kai kissed him, heated and rough and desperate, all teeth and tongue on which Kyungsoo could taste the tiniest whisper of gin.

Kai broke away first, his tongue sweeping over his lips in approval, the corners of his mouth just hinting at a smile. “Nice talking to you,” he said to Kyungsoo, and then he reached for the door and was gone.

 

 

 

 A/N: Sorry to leave you on that, but surprisingly I already have the next part (mostly) written so it should be up soon after editing. Thanks so much for reading! Review if you enjoyed, did enjoy, I don't know man but reviews are great. Anywhoo thanks again. :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Until we perform again, you can just call me Jongin.”

A/N: Yay! Look at me, updating on time. As I mentioned before, this is a mess and I'm sorry, but...I kind of just joined this fandom like a week ago and have been madly obsessing. This fic was my outlet for my frustrations. Maybe once I sit back and take a breath I can actually post something that has meaning. But I still hope you enjoy! For what it's worth, I tried. XD 

 

 

Kyungsoo met Jongin for the second time, properly, in the bubble tea place on campus. Mid-term week was over, and after that had been a winter break filled with so many Christmas dinners and New Year’s drinks that he had almost forgot about the boy in the blazer.

Kyungsoo had stepped foot in the bubble tea shop maybe once before, with Baekhyun, who had urged him multiple times to go again. Kyungsoo found it rather pointless and had always declined. If the café was good for anything, it would be relaxing, and that was rather impossible to do when Baekhyun was around. But he’d had an upsettingly social winter break. Maybe he would enjoy the peace and quiet.

This was quickly ruined in two ways. One, Kai was sitting at one of the café tables with his headphones on. The second would come later.

“Oh,” Kyungsoo sighed upon seeing the dancer, and then he promptly ordered a passion fruit yoghurt tea and sat down at the table across from him. “Hello,” he said complacently. From what he blurrily recalled from midterms week, he had seen Kai quite a few times during exams and had received no recognition whatsoever despite what had happened at the club. Kyungsoo had pretended not to be hurt- it had just been a kiss after all, not a proclamation of love- but it had been a blow all the same. After consecutive drinks from Christmas and New Year’s the pain had dimmed, but seeing the dancer here was pulling dully at his heartstrings. It was probably a rash decision to confront him, but dammit he had wanted his peaceful bubble tea and here was Kai ruining everything.

But he would be civilized.

At his greeting the boy’s head snapped up, his mouth opening in an ‘O’ of surprise. Then, without much grace, he shifted to sit up and pushed his headphones off, avoiding eye contact at all costs. “Oh, um, hi,” he answered uncomfortably.

“I’m Do Kyungsoo,” Kyungsoo said evenly, in case Kai didn’t remember.

“I know,” the dancer smiled awkwardly. “I’m-”

“Kai. I know, too,” Kyungsoo broke in.

The other boy laughed softly. “Kim Jongin, actually,” he corrected. “Kai’s my stage name.” He glanced out coyly from behind straight, dewy lashes, and it was obvious that he remembered everything that had transpired between them. 

Kyungsoo’s eyebrows rose. “Jongin,” he repeated, the name at total odds from the dancer he had come to know and yet sounding very in tune with the mild boy who was here now. “Oh.”

“Yah,” Jongin smiled stiffly, still sort of avoiding looking at Kyungsoo’s face. “Until we perform again, you can just call me Jongin.” He paused, his fingers lacing tensely around his headphones. “You’re Yixing’s roommate, aren’t you.” He stated it as fact rather than a question, like he’d known it for a while.

“That’s right,” Kyungsoo nodded, gazing curiously at Jongin’s lips. He was biting them, which Kai had done too, and yet it was completely foreign on Jongin’s face. He was fittingly adorable chewing on his bottom lip, absentmindedly gnawing, while Kai had been ridiculously hot and sort of staged. In fact, that seemed to describe Jongin perfectly- adorable - while Kai was…well.

 “So I won’t be seeing you dance for a while, I suppose?” Kyungsoo asked after a second, deliberately abstaining from mentioning their kiss. He had high doubts that this was even the boy he _had_ kissed.

Jongin shrugged shyly. “Not until we get another gig.”

“Pity,” Kyungsoo replied honestly. “I liked watching you dance.”

Perhaps that was too bold, because Jongin seemed to sink into his seat, his eyes slipping away in a cute show of docility. Funny, when he had been around Kai, Kyungsoo had strongly felt the submissive one. But this role seemed practically reversed now that he was speaking to Jongin, and the revelation left Kyungsoo at a loss for words. Out of sheer luck, before it got too awkward, the second way in which Kyungsoo’s quest for peace had been doomed conveniently appeared. Baekhyun burst into the shop, laughing like a hyena. 

“Kyungsoo!” He grinned in surprise, leaning over to catch his breath. And then, as he caught sight of Jongin, “Jongin-ah!”

For some reason this left an almost sour impression on Kyungsoo. To think that the boy he’d been infatuated with for the past two months had known Baekhyun all along! It shouldn’t be surprising; Baekhyun knew practically everyone, but it still somehow stung.

“Byun Baekhyun!” came an indignant shout from the street, and then Jongdae entered the shop in an equally dramatic fashion, his wide glasses goofily crooked on his face. One look and Baekhyun broke down into giggles. Jongdae glared at him for a moment, but then unable to contain it, they both collapsed into laughter, trying desperately to catch their breath. Kyungsoo and Jongin exchanged uniform confused looks.

“Ha! Baekhyun is the winner again!” Baekhyun crowed in between gulps of breath.

“You could have at least told me where we were racing to!” Jongdae grumbled, fixing his glasses, his face still somehow split into a sunny smile as he said it. “Cheater,” he added playfully, and then looped an arm around Baekhyun’s shoulders. “Kyungsoo-ah! Jongin-ah!” he greeted them both. “Figure seeing you two here! What’s up?”

For a moment Kyungsoo was about to ask how the two even knew each other, but then he remembered Baekhyun’s social promiscuity. “Nothing,” he answered lamely, and Jongin gave a small noise of agreement.

“Sounds thrilling,” Baekhyun laughed. “Come on, hyung,” he added, pulling at Jongdae’s arm. “You're getting me a red bean with custard pudding!”

“Wait, I’m paying?” Jongdae's laughter halted, flabbergasted.

“Baekhyun’s chronically broke,” Kyungsoo told him flatly. “Get used to it.”

Jongin let out a cute giggle and Kyungsoo turned back to him, itching to ask him everything he knew about Baekhyun. _How long had they been friends? Were they close? Did he call Baekhyun hung?_   He and Jongdae commenced another bout of raucous laughter at the till and Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “Those two shouldn’t be allowed near each other,” he told Jongin with a sigh.

“I agree,” Jongin smiled, in a way that made it clear he knew the two well enough to identify their matching personalities. 

“I should get going,” Kyungsoo told him abruptly, knowing that if he stayed any longer he was going to end up full on interrogating the poor thing about his relationships with everyone else he knew. Oh no, he had it _bad_. Standing, he grabbed his bubble tea and giving a small wave of goodbye.

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin called out as he reached the door. He paused and turned back, face rising in question. “It’s just…we still do weekly practices,” the dancer said demurely, softly blushing. “Dance practices. I’m sure the others won’t mind if you come. To watch. If you want. You don’t have to. But. You can.”

Kyungsoo didn’t even try to stop it when his face broke out in a smile. “I’d like that.”

 

-

 

The following weekend Kyungsoo accompanied Yixing to the studio, set himself up quietly in the corner -corners were rapidly becoming his thing- and sat contentedly through the entire three hour practice.

It was almost amusing, how quickly Kai returned. Kyungsoo had been purposely keeping a sharp eye on the transformation, fascinated with its inner workings, and when the shift had taken place it had been almost too fast to identify. The dancers started off free styling as a warm up, and by the end of the first song adorable Jongin had already disappeared, leaving a glistening, sensuous Kai in his place. Spectacular. The newly awakened performer acknowledged Kyungsoo only with a curt nod, the smiles they had shared in reserve for now.

Three hours could not have gone faster. The dancers often stopped to take breaks, or alternate members running solos and duets so the others could rest. But it seemed like Kai was always dancing. Perhaps a second or two break for a drink of water, and then he was back on the floor, carelessly tossing his hair about as he moved. He was not perfect, far from it. There were groups where he looked lost; certain movements were messy and too sharp or too soft. But he was entrancing, magnetic, _ethereal_ under the studio lights.

Practice came to a close and there was a collective sigh of relief and satisfaction, the dancers all simultaneously reaching for their water bottles. It brought a smile to Kyungsoo's face; their teamwork and unconscious parallel tendencies. Kai took his time putting his stuff together, laughing and saying goodbyes as other members began to trickle out. Kyungsoo stayed in his corner, giving Yixing and Sehun a gentle dismissive wave when they turned in question, keeping his eyes trained on Kai. He was, Kyungsoo quickly concluded, still _Kai_. Even rearranging stuff in his duffel bag and looping a jacket around his shoulders, his body buzzed with a kind of seductive energy. Kyungsoo got to his feet silently in patience. Eventually, as the others trailed out one by one, the two of them were the only ones left in the studio. Kai turned with a resolved sigh, managing to further draw out the time it took to meet Kyungsoo’s eyes. He seemed almost on the defensive, not quite ready for whatever the other might say.

“Kai, that was incredible,” Kyungsoo told him earnestly.

And just like that, he was gone. The mention of his name and the boy’s demeanour completely reversed. “Jongin,” the dancer corrected him, a shadow passing over his face.

“Jongin,” Kyungsoo mended firmly, his mind lightly panicking at the sudden changeover. “That was incredible.”

“Thank you,” Jongin said softly, and motioned towards the door. “You didn’t get bored?”

“Not at all,” Kyungsoo commended. As they reached the exit he stationed himself in front of the younger boy, turning to face him resolutely. “Jongin, get coffee with me.”

It wasn’t a question, just a demand, blunt and unforgiving. The dancer seemed to shake himself for a moment, as if he didn’t really understand what had been said. He gave Kyungsoo a curious look, clearly not expecting his behaviour in the slightest.

Well, Kyungsoo hadn’t expected it either. He had never been the type to make the first move, to confront, or even to argue. It just wasn’t his nature. But he had been thinking about asking throughout the entire practice, and it was almost a relief to have it out there in the open. If his recent grades had been any indication, he was back to being obsessed with this dancer. Perhaps even more so than before now that he had formally met his cute counterpart. And he supposed it was time to do something about it.

 “I,” Jongin said carefully, still sounding a bit baffled. “Um. Right now?”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo nodded, swallowing uncomfortably. Maybe he should have thought this over. He felt heat begin to creep up his cheeks and squeezed his fists, hoping he didn’t sound as awkward as he felt.

Jongin stared for a moment, looking equally awkward, and then slowly began to shake his head. “I…I can’t accept that, Kyungsoo.”

His world tilted for a second.

“What?”

Jongin shook his head again, this time firmer, and reached around Kyungsoo for the door. “I can’t,” he mumbled, staring towards the floor. “I’m sorry.”

“But why?” Kyungsoo blurted. He had gone this long waiting for this moment, and he wasn’t about to get rejected without an explanation. “Do you- did I not read this- do you not swing that way? Are you taken?” Suddenly words were just dropping from his mouth, desperate and quick. “I thought- Jongin-”

Jongin laughed quietly, somehow managed to open the door, and forced his way out. “Boys are great, and no, I’m not taken.”

“Then why?” Kyungsoo practically begged, tailing him out into the street. “Jongin!”

“Because,” the dancer muttered forcefully, speed walking away and not looking back, “You don’t even like me.”

“What does that even-” Kyungsoo made a sound of exasperation and hurried forward to place himself in front of Jongin again. “Why would I ask you out if I didn’t like you, you idiot?”

“You don’t,” Jongin insisted, and stepped around Kyungsoo again. “You like _Kai_.”

And with those words he understood.

Kyungsoo blocked him with hid body again, the two stepping stepping side-to-side on the pavement. God, the dancer was delusional if he thought that it was only _Kai_ Kyungsoo had been coveting. “Jongin,” he said softly, gritting the words out behind his teeth, “I like _you_. I’m asking _you_ out. Now _get coffee with me_.”

“It would disappoint you,” Jongin sighed, finally slowing. It was clear he genuinely believed it. He gave a shake of his head, distaste and unhappiness in his eyes, and Kyungsoo realized that Jongin hated Kai just as much as he loved him. 

This revelation just made him more insistent. “There’s no way you could ever disappoint me. Now come on.” He grabbed for the taller boy’s arm, feeling sharp resistance slowly give way to reluctant meekness.

 

-

 

It was almost comical how well they fitted together. Jongin, Kyungsoo discovered after they made it past the fifteen or so minutes of mindless small talk, was remarkably similar to him. When he opened up, it was like they were twins. Granted, this took quite a bit of time, but after half an hour they were chatting like old friends. Kyungsoo was vaguely shocked, but at the same time he supposed he had expected it.

Kai had been a far off dream. But _Jongin_.

Jongin was very real and attainable. Why else would Kyungsoo have found him so damn attractive if he hadn’t seen a bit of himself in there? It made sense that the two of them simply completed each other.

In the next hour and a half they covered a variety of topics from school to family to ice cream flavours, and they had just got started on Kai’s dance when one of the baristas came by and placed a hand on Jongin’s shoulder, interrupting.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist,” the boy apologized gleefully upon seeing the pair’s alarmed faces.

Kyungsoo stopped mid-sentence, looking first to the boy’s hand on Jongin’s shoulder and then up at his elfin, pale face.

“Luhan, hyung,” Jongin laughed awkwardly, “Now is really not the time.”

“Well,” the boy said with a sweet, mischievous smile, “When _will_ be the time? You two’ve been talking for nearly two hours and my shift ends in five minutes. I had to say hi before I left!” He gave Kyungsoo another cheeky grin. “Please don’t take this out on Jongin, I swear that I just have curiosity issues.”

“I second that,” Jongin said calmly, and his mouth twitched into a grin when he saw Kyungsoo’s expression. “Luhan’s the biggest gossip I’ve ever met.”

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow, looked up at Luhan’s pretty face, and decided that this was too good to pass up. “I know someone you should meet,” he told Luhan dryly, and pulled out his phone to find Sehun’s famed instagram. “Interested?”

“Oh, he’s hot,” Luhan exclaimed in appreciation upon viewing the endless selfies. He seemed to forget his company for a moment and continued scrolling, his pink lips parting in amazement. Kyungsoo shot Jongin a look, seeing if he approved of his matchmaker skills, and Jongin couldn’t help but burst into giggles.

At this Luhan straightened, hastily handing Kyungsoo his phone back. “Oh, yeah, I came here to ask about you guys!” He ruffled a hand carelessly through Jongin’s hair and grinned. “So…?”

“We’re on a date,” Kyungsoo informed his new acquaintance, and Jongin nodded weakly.

“You didn’t tell me you had a boy toy!” Luhan reprimanded Jongin playfully.

“I…” Jongin replied, seemingly at a loss for words.

“Has he seen you dance?”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo and Jongin answered immediately, and then exchanged sheepish glances.

“He’s really something, isn’t he,” Luhan smiled adoringly, and Kyungsoo could only nod vigorously in agreement as Jongin’s face went an adorable shade of pink. “Well, you better treat my dongsaeng well,” the pretty boy told Kyungsoo earnestly. “Anyway, it was nice seeing you, Jongin, and…” he paused, looking to Kyungsoo questioningly.

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin supplied in place for him, and Luhan grinned again.

“Kyungsoo. Pleasure meeting you. Now, I’ve really got to go, Minseok’s been waiting for me in the library for the past ten minutes.” He gave one last wide smile and ran for the door, but then at the last second turned back. “Somebody text me that instagram boy’s number! I won’t rest until I’ve met that cutie!” And then he was gone, leaving in his wake the laughing couple.

 

-

 

Their discussion over Kai was short and sweet.

“I can’t even stop him anymore,” was Jongin’s sad explanation. “He’s just _there_.”

Kyungsoo took his time looking for the right answer to this, stirring his teaspoon in his empty coffee cup. Eventually, he asked curiously, “When did he first appear?”

“Well,” Jongin frowned, his nose wrinkling charmingly, “I used to dance only when I was extremely emotional- sad, angry, frustrated…I was fuelled on such a dangerous balance of chemicals. I wasn’t myself. And eventually I noticed that I couldn’t really _dance_ unless I brought that out. They gave me a stage name, Kai was born, and I knew right away. I would never be able to get rid of him. And…” he breathed in a sweet long breath and continued, “I love it. Dance. But Kai _is_ dance. So in saying that I love dance, I’m saying that I love Kai.” His face screws up for a moment. “And I do, sometimes. He’s everything I’ve always wanted to be- confident, appealing, talented…but...”

“But sometimes you hate him,” Kyungsoo completed emphatically.

“Yes. I do.”

And that’s that.

Kyungsoo will always be infatuatedly obsessed with Kai, the performer who stole his breath and hid it away somewhere irretrievable the first time he laid eyes on him. But he will _love_ the boy in the blazer.

He decides there’s a huge difference between the two.

\- END

 

A/N: Heh. Um. This entire fic was basically inspired off a tumblr post where somebody was telling an EXO-L newbie that Kai and Jongin weren't even the same person. And I second that. With this fic. _God, what am I doing_.

Anyway, please review because I love reviews those are fabulous. And thank you so much for reading, I can't believe people actually put in the effort to read these :'D. LOVE YOU ALL


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